AT 6AM on a Friday morning, most Oxfordshire residents would still be fast asleep or just preparing to greet the day, But for Lauren Bailey there was no rest, as she was up until 6am rescuing animals in Witney.

Miss Bailey, 27, works as an RSPCA inspector covering the Banbury area. When on call, she could be out rescuing animals anywhere in Oxfordshire.

And now her escapades are being documented in the third series of Channel 5’s The Dog Rescuers, which began airing at 8pm on Tuesday night.

Miss Bailey receives about 10 complaints a week in the Banbury area, many of them domestic or relating to horses in more rural areas.

She said: “We get a lot of complaints about beatings, and people worrying that animals they have seen are too thin. Dogs are often left outside with no shelter or kept in cages throughout the day.

“People generally respond well and more often than not are willing to let me in; we have no legal right to enter.

“I rely on my skills of persuasion. It’s all about keeping the situation calm.”

After applying to become an inspector in 2012, Miss Bailey faced a rigorous selection process and seven months of training. Inspectors must be prepared for any and every eventuality.

In March this year she helped rescue a tiny muntjac deer trapped between two walls in Headington, as reported in the Oxford Mail.

She said: “We were called to a fox trapped between two brick walls – I climbed a wall, went over and realised it had hooves.”

Miss Bailey put herself forward to take part in The Dog Rescuers, and filming is still on-going until the end of May.

Her first appearance in the show sees her rehoming eight Collie puppies after the owner was unable to cope .

The Dog Rescuers airs on Tuesday nights on Channel 5. For more information visit channel5.com/shows/the-dog-rescuers